What Are The Best Ways To Raise Your HDL Cholesterol Levels?

HDL Cholesterol, also known as good cholesterol is very important for your health, especially to clean up the bad cholesterol. In order to lower your risk of heart disease, it is always recommended to lower your “bad” low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and increase the “good” high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in your body. Many studies have so far shown that low levels of HDL cholesterol – less than 40 mg/dL for men and less than 50 mg/dL for women can increase the overall risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) and heart attacks. A person with HDL levels below 35 mg/dL is supposed to have eight times the risk of CAD than a person with higher HDL levels.¹ Let’s check out some ways you can raise HDL cholesterol levels naturally:

Exercise Regularly

Studies have found out that doing regular aerobic exercises can increase the HDL cholesterol by around 5 percent. You can try brisk walking, jogging, swimming or playing some sport for at least 30 minutes, 5 times a week. Studies have been able to prove conclusively that the more you exercise, greater the effect it will have on your body.²

Quit Smoking

We all know that smoking is injurious to health. Quitting the cigarette butt can increase your HDL cholesterol by up to 10 percent. Even if you are a passive smoker, your HDL cholestrol levels can still reduce. Smoking causes cholesterol built up in your blood vessels, making it harder for HDL to do the job of sweeping it out.³

Cut Your Sugar Intake

A study done by Emory University in Atlanta, showed that increased sugar intake lowers blood HDL levels. The results of the study which evaluated the diets of 6,113 adults showed that, people with the highest levels of good cholesterol had diets in which sugar accounted for just 5 percent or less of their calories.

Consume Red Wine

Consuming alcohol in low amounts, especially red wine has been recommended for improved cardio vascular health. It is usually suggested that, men can have one or two glasses of red wine daily while women can consume one. However, consuming alcohol is still considered to be a personal choice.⁴

Drink Orange Juice

If alcohol is something you wish to avoid, a better alternative is to drink fresh orange juice. Studies have proved that consuming at least 750 ml of orange juice every day can increase your HDL cholesterol levels by around 21%.⁵

Consume Healthy Fats

Fats have traditionally got a bad rap and has been an exception in most diets. The trick is to identify the “good” fats from the “bad” ones. Add fats, especially mono and polyunsaturated fats in your daily diet. Avoid trans fat foods that can lower your HDL levels.

Foods You Can Try To Increase Your HDL Cholesterol Levels

• Whole grains, such as oatmeal, oat bran and whole-wheat products.
• Nuts, such as walnuts, almonds and brazil nuts.
• Omega-3 fatty acids rich foods such as fatty fish, flaxseeds and flaxseed oil.⁶